Johan Ackermann lauds Bulls’ character after dramatic URC win over Connacht in Galway

Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann was full of praise for his side’s fighting spirit after they edged Connacht 27-26 in a pulsating United Rugby Championship encounter in Galway, Ireland, on Friday night.

The visitors looked to be in control for much of the match but were forced to survive a late scare when Connacht scored in the closing stages after pouncing on a wicked bounce from a kick chase. The hosts then had a chance to snatch victory with a last-minute conversion attempt that drifted wide. There was further drama when the referee ordered a retake after an early charge from the Bulls, but that attempt also sailed wide — much to Ackermann’s relief.

“Obviously you couldn’t get it closer,” Ackermann said afterwards. “Tonight we could have lost it – they had the kick to win it – so we’re grateful for the victory, but I felt we did a lot of good things.

“We probably don’t feel too guilty about the win because we really were in control of the game until that last moment when they scored a good try. So we’ll take the win.”

The Bulls had come into the match under pressure following their heavy defeat to Ulster the previous weekend — their only blemish in their first three matches of the season so far — and Ackermann said he was pleased with how his players responded.

Scrumhalf Sebastian de Klerk was at the heart of all that was good about the Bulls’ attacking display, knitting play together seamlessly and running great support lines that earned him a brace of tries. Evergreen Springbok veteran Willie le Roux also controlled the tempo of the match from fullback, running in for a well-worked try of his own.

However, it was the Bulls’ all-round defensive effort that showed the most improvement. The forwards were once again solid in the scrums, smothering countless attacks with their impressive line speed and excellent ruck work, while their ferocity in defending their try line during a late spell of pressure from the home team was equally commendable.

“The team has grown so much in the last three weeks,” skipper Reinhardt Ludwig said in his post-match television interview. “Our defence was fantastic. There are still some work-ons, but I’m really proud of the boys. I can’t fault their effort or character tonight.”

“The pleasing thing is the character,” Ackermann said, echoing his skipper’s sentiments. “I asked the players that we don’t have that big slump that we had against Ulster, and tonight they showed that fight.”

However, Ackermann admitted that the Bulls still have work to do in cutting out costly lapses in concentration that nearly allowed Connacht back into the contest.

“The ability is there, the skill is there, but we tend to switch off,” he said. “Even when I spoke to some players now, they said that’s still going to be a work-on for us.

“We feel in control, then one little mistake snowballs and we let the other side in. Every week you play quality sides that will punish you when you make errors, so if we want to progress, we need to cut those mistakes.”

Despite the nervy finish, Ackerman said the narrow win was a valuable step forward as the Bulls look to build consistency in their early-season campaign.